Nat Sciver-Brunt helps them beat Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets in the final
Mumbai: A late flourish from England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt (60 not out) helped Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by seven wickets in a low-scoring summit clash to become champions of the inaugural Women’s Premier League here on Sunday.
In front of a partisan crowd that filled the Brabourne Stadium here to the brim, Mumbai Indians chased down the target of 131 with three balls to spare to lift the trophy.
Opting to bat first, Delhi Capitals suffered a collapse to be reduced to 79 for 9 in 16 overs but posted a respectable total of 131 for 9, thanks to a 52-run partnership for the unbroken 10th wicket between Shikha Pandey (27 not out) and Radha Yadav (27 not out).
It was not an easy run chase for MI but they eventually crossed the line, reaching 134 for 3 in 19.3 overs, with Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet (37) playing crucial roles.
Sciver-Brunt (60 not out from 55 balls, 7×4), also the Player of the Final, struck her third fifty and finished second behind DC captain Meg Lanning (345) in run-scorers’ chart in the WPL with 332 runs.
Harmanpreet (37 from 39 balls, 5x4s) and Sciver-Brunt joined forces when MI were precariously placed at 23 for 2 in the fourth over, and combined their batting prowess to soak the pressure and add 72 runs for the third wicket.
MI needed 45 runs from the last five overs though they had eight wickets in hand then. Sciver-Brunt was 28 off 38 balls at that stage but she struck a flurry of boundaries to help her side cross the line.
In the process, Mumbai Indians recorded their second win over Delhi in three meetings this season, with their bowlers producing a stunning show in the first half.
Earlier, Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav fought back with a counter-attacking 52-run unbeaten stand for the 10th wicket, lifting Delhi to 131 for 9.
Delhi Capitals were off to a rocky start, collapsing from 74 for 3 in the 11th over to 79 for 9 after 16, thanks to devastating show from overseas bowlers Hayley Matthews (4-2-5-3), Isabelle Wong (4-0-42-3) and Amelia Kerr (4-0-18-2).
However, the 52-run stand between Shikha (27 not out from 17 balls) and Radha Yadav (27 not out from 12 balls) took them across the 100-mark and gave them a fighting chance.
Shikha hit three fours and one six in her knock, Radha smashed two boundaries and as many maximums.